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Chester Racecourse Announces Exciting PlayFest For Family Day

Published on 7 July 2023

Chester Racecourse is excited to announce details of its popular annual Family Day on Sunday 6 August, as the Roodee gets set to take on a family festival vibe curated by ParentFolk, the acclaimed family publication, community, and event curators. 

The fun-filled event with ParentFolk, who have previously collaborated with Camp Bestival Shropshire, CBBC and MediaCityUK to create memorable family experiences, is one that is certainly not to be missed, especially with children aged 17 and under able to attend and participate in all the activities for FREE with a paying adult. 

ParentFolk are renowned for creating cool family spaces, completely different to regular family events, designed to appeal to kids, but also created to be enjoyable for their grown-ups. 

Set to transform the Open Course into an inviting play space and festival for families, ParentFolk will create a ‘PlayFest’, split into three zones – a PlayZone, MusicZone and MakeZone – where kids play meets ‘grand day out at the races’.

The PlayZone will host a brilliant city beach where little ones can play with buckets and spades, and there’ll be giant versions of retro arcade games in a grown-ups vs kids battle. Little imaginations will be free to play and explore in the BRIO play discovery area, or join the Super Pirates crew for some disco madness and wild games that will get everyone joining in. 

Kids Outdoor adventure apparel brand Roarsome will be joining the line-up with a fun pop-up. Visit their branded Citroen van to take part in their activities, and have a go of their ‘Roarsome Claw’ for your chance to win some epic Roarsome prizes! 

The MusicZone will feature sets from the award-winning Disco Defender. You can join the DiscoYoga gang for their feel-good family yoga sessions popping up throughout the day, plus there’ll also be some special appearances from CBeebies TV favourites, Pinocchio and Friends. Join Pinocchio and Freeda as they perform their iconic songs and dances – you’ll even be able to grab a photo with them at their pop-up meet + greet area!

The MakeZone, meanwhile, is always a firm favourite, and this year there’s a host of creative pop-ups to get involved with. Join Ravensburger CreART pop-up and get involved with their workshops. In the ParentFolk make + do area younger guests will be able to make a horse mask and decorate a rosette, and budding artists will be able to join Manchester artist Pete Obsolete for his live art activation. Families will even get to join in as he creates the ultimate live draw graffiti wall.

Join storyteller extraordinaire, Gav Cross, for some silly stories, rock up for the Funny Looking Kids show, and swing by the ParentFolk kids ink tattoo pop-up, which all form part of this jam-packed afternoon of fun. 

Alongside all this will be the traditional giant inflatables that family racegoers have grown to love. 

Sam Martin, Head of Marketing and Communications at Chester Racecourse, said: 

“We can’t wait to welcome ParentFolk back to Chester Racecourse for another exciting Family Day collaboration. Bringing so many much-loved characters and curated activities to the Roodee – that are sure to delight children and their grown-ups of all ages – this is a fun-filled event that really does have something for everyone. 

“Offering a great value day out, where kids go free and families can bring picnics onto the Open Course, our Family Day fixture promises to be a magical and memorable experience for all those in attendance.” 

Nic Spindler, Founder of ParentFolk, added: 

“We are delighted to be teaming up with Chester Racecourse for their Family Day again this year. This is the third year we’ve curated this special family event at the racecourse and this year will be the biggest and most joyous to date. We’ve curated an original, lively, and engaging event this year with our signature ‘PlayFest’ line-up, plus lots of new play to discover! There’ll be heaps to keep kids and their grown-ups occupied throughout the afternoon. 

“Our events always focus on opportunities for families to come together and make memories, so expect kids versus parents games, family disco yoga and plenty of laughs! We can’t wait for our favourite race meeting of the year!”

Roodee tickets for Chester Racecourse’s Family Day, which provide access to the Open Course and all the exciting activities, are available to purchase in advance for £15 for adults. Children aged 17 and under attend for FREE. 

To purchase tickets, please click here

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